But before that I worked at the equally honourable profession of a common sailor on a ship between New York and Ceylon.

At that time I was about as wild and reckless as they make them, and deluded myself into the foolish belief that I enjoyed it.

How I had come to that pass I needn't tell you.

It wasn't all of a sudden, or without the assistance of other people.

I had a comrade on board--a man who had once been a gentleman, but had come down in the world; who was nearly as bad as I, but not quite; for he sometimes talked of his home and his mother, and wished himself dead, which I never had the grace to do." "Are you making this all up for my benefit," asked Rosalind, "or is it true ?" "The story would not be worth telling if it were not true," said Mr Armstrong, screwing his glass into his eye and taking a fresh survey of the picture.